Rotating parachute



Feb. 8, 1955 Filed NOV- 14. 1949 E. G. EWING ROTATING PARACHUTE 2Shets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

EQGAR G. EWING ATTORNEY Feb. 8, 1955 E. G. EWING 2,701,697

ROTATING PARACHUTE Filed Nov. 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

DGAR G. EWING ATTORNEY ii I ROTATING Edgar G. "Ewing, North =Hnllyyvoou,.Cal'ili, assignor to Radioplane Company, Van Nuys, Califl, acorporation of California A plication Nevemberl t, 1949, vSei-ial'No'.127,143 1 Claims: c1.:z44.-.--145):-

This invention relates generally to parachutes, and

relates-more -particu:l-arly 'to parachutes which rotate when inoperation.

It is an object; of the present .invention'to provide a device of thischaracter that=is highly elficient.

It is another objectof the invention to provide a device of thischaracter which will open slowly, making it suitable for deployment athigh velocities.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter.havinguhighdrag characteristics.

Still another. object. "of therinven'ti'on is to provide a device ofthischar'acter thathasextremely good directional stabilityandlittlez'orno pendular movement.

A further. objectof theinvention is to provide'a device pf thischaracter, .wherein.the opening shockis relatively A still. furtherobject ofthe invention: to provide a device of this'wcharacter:which-will automatically-spill when it contacts the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter-having a relatively small packing volume.

Still other objects of the invention are to provide a device of thischaracter .that..is relatively light in Weight, that requires .aminimum. of material, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture... v

Other objectsand advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowingpart of. thespe'cificationc Referring to ,the. drawings, which.are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. l is a perspective schematic view of a parachute device embodyingthe invention;

United States. PatentlQ Figi2 is a top. plan view .ofthesame,showing'the canopy fully extended.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

gig. 5 is a top plan view of an alternative arrangement; an

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the device is shown ashaving a generally circular canopy which comprises a plurality ofgenerally triangular or sectorshaped panels or gores, indicatedgenerally at 10, of suitable material, such as nylon or the like.

Each panel has a slot opening 11 at one side thereof. While saidopenings may be of any suitable shape, they are shown as beingtriangular with the outer end of the base 12 of the slot spaced inwardlyfrom the peripheral edge 13 of the canopy, said canopy having aperipheral skirt or skirt portion comprising skirt portions 14 of thepanels and there is a radially extending sail 15 for each panel. Theskirt portion 14 of each panel defines the base of the slot 11, and thesail 15 defines one side of the slot, the inner edge 16 of said sailbeing substantially parallel with the outer edge 17, which is also oneedge of the panel. The other side of the slot 11 is defined by theadjacent edge of the adjacent panel. The side edges 17 of each panelextend substantially radially and for some purposes a vent opening 20may be provided at the center of the canopy (Figs. 1 and 2). Theperipheral edge 13 of the canopy is reenforced at 21 and the oppositeedge of the skirt, defining the base 12, is reenforced at 22. The sideedges 17 of the panel are also reenforced as at 23 and the side edges ofthe sails defining the sides 16 of the opening 11 are reenforced at 24.The reenforcing strips and the 2,701,697 Patented Fees, 1955 r ce,

various parts of the canopy are/sewed together or otherwise suitablysecured-c Suspension lines 30 are provided and,.-.as shownin Figs. 1 and-2, extend along .the .r-adial edges=17 of the panels where they aresecured by sewing. or other suitable means, the .lowenen'ds of saidlines 30 being secured:.-to a swivel unit31 to which a load 3-2 may beattached. The load 32 may be a missile, suppliesor thelike which are tobe dropped to the :ground, or :a person. In'Ithe lattercaseithezharnessof .theparachute'r is attached to the swivel 51-.

The parachute may, be'packed in avery'sm'all {package due' to thefactthat there are cutout areas 11, whi'eh reduces the amount ofmaterial in the;canopy and also results in a reduction in the weight ofsaid canopyi- In operation, as when. the-device is lowering a load, thecanopy rotates in the direction indicated by the arrows 33in Figs. .1and 2'. This rotation iseffected by ithe sails -15, theedges .16 ofwhich. flare outwardly, as at 35 in Figs. 3 and4.'-, thereby causingsa'id sails to assume a blade-like shapeand causing said sailstofunction as airfoils. The edges 17 of thew-blades: are heldagainstflaring by the suspensionline s30 which run alongsaid edges 17 andaresuitablysecuredto the canopy.

The rapid. rotation of the: canopy substantially increasesthe'efficien'cy thereof, and-the 'devicehas asgy-roscopic effect whichmaterially increases: the-directional stability of the deviceandmateriallyreduces 'or' substantially eliminates pendular movement.thereof.

1 Another advantage-of the invention is thatlit maybe used inconnection-with high velocitysmissil'es, to slow down and land s'ame.The parachute will 'open. relatively slowly and the opening shockloadsare minimizeddue to the i lattice-like;eflectof theeanopy. ,It' has.also been found-that thereis automatic spillinglor eollapsingfof thecanopy as soon as it contacts the ground,- thereby avoiding draggi-ng ofthe rload at the end of the descent.

Referring to Figs. 5 andfi', the canopyof this arrangemerit-10f .aparachute is alsov of generaily circular shape and comprises aplurality: of generally triangular-1y er sector-shaped panels orvgor'es1'0. i

The. apices .of the panels-10 are secured. to a circular piece 40 (Fig.5,) byt-sew-ing or other. suitablemeans and each panel. has a four-sidedslot opening-11a; wider a'tthe outer :end'than'at the inn'erfl'encl. 41the outer end being spaced-inwardly 'fromLthe peripheral edge- 13 .ofthe-canopy. Eachpanelhasgan outer or skirt Ipo'rtion. 14, ..and theinner side edge 42ithereofii'defines the. outer ,endmf the slot: 112:..sA-sailwlfilaha'sla side 43 which defines the adjacent longitudinalside of said slot, a side of the slot opposite the sail being defined bythe adjacent panel 10.

The side edges of the panel 10 extend substantially radially and theside edges 43 of the sails are also on a radius so that the inner endsof said sails are narrower than the outer ends. Thus it will be apparentthat the sails and the slots may be varied in shape without departingfrom the essence of the invention.

The peripheral edge of the canopy is reenforced by strips of suitablefabric material or the like, said strips being indicated at 45, and theradial side edges of the panels 10 are also similarly reenforced, as at46.

The panel edges 41, 42 and 43 are also reenforced by strips 47, all ofthe various strips above mentioned being sewed to the panels orotherwise suitably secured.

In the arrangement of Fig. 5, the suspension lines 30a do not extend tothe central part of the canopy as in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to4, but have their end portions 30b secured to the sides of the panelsalong the outer end portions of said sides, the reenforcements 46serving as extensions of said lines so that the sails 1511 will take onan airfoil shape when the device is in operation, as is the case of thesails 15 of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

The shape of the sails 15a under these conditions is shown in Fig. 6 anddiffers somewhat from the shape of the sails 15 (Fig. 3) under operatingconditions, but with either sail arrangement the object and advantagesof the invention will be attained.

I claim: 3

1. A parachute device, comprising: a canopy'of gefiz erally circularshape and comprising a plurality of generally triangular shaped panelssecured together along adjacent edges, said canopy having a vent openingin the center, each of said panels comprising a skirt portion at theouter end thereof and a generally radially extending sail intermediatethe ends and along one side of the panel, the sails of the canopy beingannularly spaced apart and facing in the same peripheral direction; aplurality of suspension lines depending from the canopy and includingportions extending along the edges of the panels whereat the sails aredisposed, and secured in position; and a swivel unit secured to thelower ends of the suspension lines.

2. In a parachute device: a generally circular canopy having aperipheral skirt from which extend inwardly a plurality of generallyradial sails, said sails being substantially uniformly arranged andspaced apart and being relatively narrow along a dimension parallel tothe air fiow and of small curve or bow in cross-section; and a pluralityof holding means for corresponding edges of said sails, said meansincluding at least a portion of respective suspension lines.

-3. In a parachute device: a generally circular canopy having aperipheral skirt of substantial width from which extend a plurality ofgenerally radial sails, said sails being substantially uniformlyarranged and being relatively narrow and facing in the same directionand having substantially the same pitch; a plurality of suspensionlines, a .portion of each suspension line extending along at least aportion of one edge of the respective sails and secured thereto; and aswivel device secured to the lower ends of said suspension lines.

4. A canopy for a parachute device, comprising: fabric material ofgenerally circular shape, having a peripheral skirt portion, said canopyhaving openings therein to provide a plurality of relatively narrow,elongated, generally radially extending sails annularly spaced apart,one edge of each of said sails being adapted to balloon outwardly, saidopenings being wider at their outer ends and said edges of said sailsbeing at the corresponding sides thereof.

5. A parachute device, comprising: a generally circular canopy formed ofa plurality of generally triangular shaped panels marginally securedtogether, each of said panels having a generally triangularly shapedopening therein of substantially fixed area with the base at the outerend and spaced inwardly a substantial distance from the outer edge ofthe panel in substantially parallel relationship so that the canopy hasa distinct, relatively wide peripheral skirt portion of relativelyuniform width, the respective portions of said panels along one side ofthe respective openings and substantially contiguous therewith fortningelongated generally radial sails facing in the same peripheral directionand uniformly spaced apart,

said sails being relatively narrow along a dimension parallel to the airflow and of small curve in crosssection giving said sails a low angle ofattack; and a plurality of suspension lines depending from the canopyand including portions extending along the edges of the panels Whereatthe sails are disposed.

6. A parachute device, comprising: a generally circular canopy formed ofa plurality of generally triangular shaped panels marginally securedtogether, said canopy having a vent opening in the center, each of saidpanels having a generally triangularly shaped opening therein ofsubstantially fixed area with the base at the outer end and spacedinwardly a substantial distance from the outer edge of the panel insubstantially parallel relationship so that the canopy has a distinct,relatively wide peripheral skirt portion of relatively uniform width,the respective portions of said panels along one side of the respectiveopenings and substantially contiguous therewith forming elongatedgenerally radial sails facing in the same peripheral direction anduniformly spaced apart, said sails being relatively narrow along adimension parallel to the air flow and of small curve in cross-sectiongiving said sails a low angle of attack; a plurality of suspension linesdepending from the canopy and including portions extending along theedges of the panels whereat the sails are disposed, and secured inposition; and a 1swivel unit secured to the lower ends of the suspensionmes.

7. A canopy for a parachute device, comprising: fabric material ofgenerally circular shape having a plurality of annularly spaced openingsof substantially constant area, the outer ends of said openings beingsubstantially wider than the inner ends and spaced inwardly asubstantial distance from the peripheral edge of the fabric material andgenerally parallel therewith thereby providing a relatively wide skirt;and a plurality of generally radially extending annularly spaced sailsbetween said openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS966,143 Van Wie Aug. 2, 1910 1,112,110 Bissell Sept. 29, 1914 2,151,349Fromme Mar. 21, 1939 2,365,230 Volf Dec. 19, 1944 2,384,416 Derry Sept.4, 1945 2,469,573 Quilter May 10, 1949 2,559,804 Smith July 10, 1951FOREIGN PATENTS 680,483 Germany Aug. 30, 1939 702,971 France Feb. 2,1931

